London, Apr. 13.
ABATE in the House of Commons, it is decided, will end tonight and the House will adjourn until Tuesday, when business sct down will be discussed. The Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, opened his statement in the House of Commons today by a recital of events in which he began by recalling what he had told the House on the eve of adjournment for the Easter recess regarding assurances to Poland. He stressed the difficulty experienced in getting information from Albania and said the Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, was still awaiting communications from the Bi ish Minister at Durazzo, which had been delayed.
He gave the House accounts from both Albanian and Italian sources, which cent fed in many particulars both as to the course of events and the background against which they occurred, and suggested that it would, in the meantime, be wise to suspend judgment on the facts.
But there was no doubt, Mr. Chamberlain said, of the general effect produced by the Italian action.
Public opinion throughout the world had once again been profoundly shocked by the fresh exhibition of the use of force, since it must be apparent that a powerful nation had imposed its will on a small and relatively defenceless country, by an imposing show of armed force. ter declared, "there is one ques tion that we are bound to ask our selves ud that is: How far are proceedings in Albania in conform= tty with the Anglo-Italian Agree ment.
Recalling the preamble of the greement, Mr. Chamberlain said Team sure it will be felt in this country and the world that.the action taken by the Italians in Albania, so far from contributing to the general cause of peace and security, must inevitably be the cause of further Uneasiness and Increase the interna-anal tension Regarding the status quo as set in the Agreement, Mr. Chamberlain said that it was with these considerations In mind that Lord Perth, the British Ambassador to Italy, in Rome and Lord Halifax, the Foreign Secretary, London had made it clear that the situation might well raise, in an meute form, the whol question of the maintenance of the status qo—matter which formed so important element in the Anglo-italian agreement.
"The Adriatic." he continued, "is certainly a part of the Mediterranean, and. the Italian Government' cannot claim that we are not concerned." tion of occupying Corfu, but would fake @ very grave view if anybody else occupied it. (Cheers)
"Later we learned {rom the British Minister in Athens that information had reached the Greek Government that Italy was intending to occupy Corfu in the near future. "This information was subsequently confirmed by the Greek Minister in London.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.